Stand on the terrace of Castel Sant'Elmo as the light goes orange and the whole gulf opens below you: the curve of the bay, the roofs of the historic centre, and the islands sitting on the horizon. That view is the quickest way to understand how Naples is put together, and it costs you only the walk up.
Naples suits travellers who are happy to spend a day moving between churches, castles and long lunches, and who do not mind queueing for the things everyone else wants to see. The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so most of what follows sits within walking distance of the next item on the list.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, ordered with the strongest first, followed by a one-day plan and answers to the questions visitors ask most often.
Top things to do in Naples
1. Cappella Sansevero
A chapel built in 1590, holding sculptures and other works by leading Italian artists of the 18th century, among them the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino. It also draws scientific interest for the anatomical machines, a still unexplained experiment by Raimondo Di Sangro, and in the basement there are two human vein models that look like plastination.
Because the chapel is small, the waiting queue can be longer than at other attractions in Naples. Plan for the wait rather than trying to squeeze it between two other stops.
2. Castel Sant'Elmo
A huge hilltop medieval fortress with outlooks over the surrounding city and a small art gallery inside. It is a good place to watch the sunset behind Ischia and Procida.
Reach it from the Morghen station and then walk about five minutes. Entry is €5.
3. Naples Cathedral
The main church of Naples, widely known as the Cattedrale di San Gennaro in honour of the city's patron saint, and built on the foundations of two palaeo-Christian basilicas whose traces can still be seen. Excavations underneath have revealed Greek and Roman artifacts.
The cathedral is famous for the Miracle of the Blood, which takes place on the first Saturday of May and on 19 September each year, when an ampule containing the dried blood of Saint Januarius is brought out and stirred until it liquefies. To be assured a seat for the miracle, arrive about 90 minutes early. Next to the cathedral, the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius holds the extensive treasure and can be visited for €14 between 09:30 and 18:00.
4. Santa Chiara
A religious complex that includes the Church of Santa Chiara, a monastery, tombs and an archaeological museum, built between 1313 and 1340 by Queen Sancha of Majorca and King Robert of Naples. The interior holds the tomb of King Robert and, in the side chapels, those of Francis II and Maria Sophie of Bavaria, Queen Maria Christina of Savoy and Salvo d'Acquisto. The Nuns' Choir houses fragments of frescoes by Giotto.
The cloister of the Clarisses was transformed in 1742 by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro with majolica tiles in Rococò style, and is the part most visitors remember. The complex faces Gesù Nuovo, so the two are easy to combine.
5. Gesù Nuovo
Built in 1470 as a palace for Roberto Sanseverino, Prince of Salerno, and later sold to the Jesuits, who constructed the church between 1584 and 1601 under the architect Giuseppe Valeriano. Its façade is unusually plain for a Baroque church, being the original rusticated ashlar front of the palace.
Inside are masterpieces by notable Neapolitan artists including Belisario Corenzio, Paolo de Matteis, Francesco Solimena, Giovanni Lanfranco and Massimo Stanzione. It sits on Piazza Gesù Nuovo, directly opposite Santa Chiara.
6. Castel dell'Ovo
The oldest castle in the city, on the former island of Megaride, now a peninsula on the Gulf of Naples. Its name comes from the legend that the Roman poet Virgil placed a magical egg in the foundations to support them, and the island was where Greek colonists from Cumae founded the nucleus of the city.
Entry is free. Opening hours are 09:00–18:30 Monday to Saturday and 09:00–14:00 on Sunday.
7. Castel Nuovo
A medieval castle often called Maschio Angioino, and the main symbol of the city's architecture. It was begun in 1279 by Charles I of Anjou and completed three years later, and it soon became the nucleus of the historic centre. In 1294, Pope Celestine V resigned from the papacy in one of its halls, an event Dante depicted in the Divina Commedia.
It is open 08:30–19:00 Monday to Saturday, on Via Vittorio Emanuele III.
8. San Domenico Maggiore
One of the most prominent churches of Naples, a Gothic building established in 1283 that incorporates a smaller original church built on the site in the 10th century. The annexed monastery was the original seat of the University of Naples, where Thomas Aquinas returned to teach theology in 1272, and where Giordano Bruno lived.
The sacristy houses 45 sepulchres of members of the royal Aragonese family, including that of King Ferdinand I. The church is free and the monastery has variable admission; opening hours are 10:00–19:00.
9. San Francesco di Paola
One of the main churches of Naples, on the west side of Piazza del Plebiscito. It was planned by King Joachim Murat as a tribute to Napoleon, and after Napoleon was dispatched, Ferdinand I of Bourbon continued the construction but converted the finished building into the church seen today.
The design is reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome, with a façade fronted by a portico resting on six columns and two Ionic pillars, a circular interior with two side chapels and a dome 53 metres high. It is a natural stop while crossing the city's main square.
10. San Gregorio Armeno
A church completed in 1640 in honour of Saint Gregory of Armenia which, with the adjacent monastery, forms one of the most relevant Baroque complexes in Naples. The interior is decorated with 52 frescoes by Luca Giordano and has a single nave with five side arcades and chapels.
Entry is free. It is open 09:00–12:00 Monday to Saturday and 09:00–13:00 on Sunday, so it works best as a morning stop.
11. Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore
One of Naples' main churches, tied to important events in the history of the city and its kingdom, including the Masaniello revolt and the executions during the five months of the Parthenopean Republic in 1799. The interior is a display of Baroque decoration with polychrome marbles, stuccoes and a gilded ceiling.
The basilica is recognisable by its 75-metre bell tower with its onion dome, and sits on Piazza del Carmine, a few steps from Piazza Mercato and Via Marina. Entry is free.
12. Castel Capuano
The second most ancient castle of Naples after Castel dell'Ovo, built in the 12th century by the Normans over a necropolis for use as a royal palace. It later served as a residence for distinguished visitors such as Francesco Petrarca and as a site for royal weddings and ceremonies, and from 1503 it was the seat of the city's courthouse for almost half a millennium, until 1995.
Its name derives from its proximity to the road that led to Capua. Opening hours are 09:00–18:30.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Gesù Nuovo on Piazza Gesù Nuovo, then cross to Santa Chiara and its majolica cloister. Walk to San Domenico Maggiore for the Aragonese sepulchres in the sacristy, and finish the morning at San Gregorio Armeno, which closes at 12:00 on weekdays.
Afternoon: Visit Naples Cathedral, and add the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius next door if you want to see the treasure. Continue to Castel Capuano, then make your way down to Castel Nuovo and Castel dell'Ovo on the waterfront.
Evening: Cross Piazza del Plebiscito to San Francesco di Paola, then head up to Castel Sant'Elmo for the sunset behind Ischia and Procida. If you have energy left, Cappella Sansevero is the one sight worth queueing for, so fit it in whenever the line looks shortest.
Frequently asked questions
When can you see the Miracle of the Blood?
The ritual takes place on the first Saturday of May and on 19 September each year at Naples Cathedral. Arrive about 90 minutes early if you want to be assured a seat.
Which sights are free to enter?
Castel dell'Ovo, San Gregorio Armeno and Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore all have free entry, and San Domenico Maggiore is free to enter the church, with variable admission for the monastery.
What is the best time of day for the views?
Castel Sant'Elmo is the place to watch the sunset behind Ischia and Procida. It is reached from the Morghen station followed by a walk of about five minutes, and entry costs €5.
How should you plan around the smaller sights?
Cappella Sansevero is small, so the queue can be longer than at other attractions in Naples. San Gregorio Armeno closes at midday on weekdays and at 13:00 on Sunday, so it is best treated as a morning stop.
Pick the sights that matter most to you, check the days and times that fit your dates, and start building your Naples itinerary around them.